One features on the cover of Tracey's new album

AJ Tracey told the story of how he accidentally ended up as the owner of two baby goats, one of which ended up featuring on the cover for his forthcoming debut album.

The animals were provided by the same person who provided an alligator for the video for his track ‘Doing It’.

“I said I need a cute baby goat, yeah?” he told Beats 1 presenter Julie Adenuga. “He said I can’t get you one, you’ve got to get two. I said why? He said they get lonely [when they’re] alone.

“First of all, I’m immature so I said ‘say no more’, I’ll have two baby goats in my house, running around. I donated them to a farm. One’s called AJ and one’s called Tracey. Tracey’s the one that’s on my cover.”

In the interview Tracey also discussed the huge wait for his debut album, which is self-titled and due next February. “I’m the king of teasing, but like I’ve had enough now, honestly I’m like the fans deserve it now, I tease way too much.

“Honestly, I always think it’s cool when artists name their first album after themselves. It’s confident it just means like this is me, this is my project, here you go.”

He said that the record is influenced by a number of different genres, from Trinidadian soco and dance to American country music.

“On my album there’s country music but you have gotta remember, when I say ‘Butterflies’ is Dancehall. It’s obviously not a traditional Dancehall track, it’s my take on Dancehall, so when I say I’m making country music, it’s my take on country music.”

AJ Tracey’s 2019 tour went on sale today (November 23). Find tickets here and see the full schedule below.

March 2019

6 – Dublin Academy
7 – Leeds O2 Academy 1
8 – Cardiff Y Plas
9 – Bristol Sxw
10 – Norwich Nick Rayns Lcr
12 – Brighton Concorde 2
14 – Newcastle University
15 – Glasgow O2 Academy
16 – Manchester Albert Hall
18 – Oxford O2 Academy 1
19 – Cambridge Junction
21 – Birmingham O2 Institute 1
22 – Nottingham Rock City
23 – London O2 Brixton Academy